Behind the lines with a state health inspector

For two years, she has carried a thermometer and reminded everyone to wash their hands. No, she's not a doctor or a nurse. She's a health inspector for the Kansas City Health Department. Before you eat anything away from home - whether it's foie gras at a four-star restaurant or a burrito at the local Burp 'n' Go - it's a good bet that Duitsman, 28, or someone like her, has given the place the sanitary once-over.

So what's it like to be the first line of defense against food-borne illness? Read on.

We understand you can't talk about specific places. But what's the most dangerous violation you've ever found?

Any critical violation can be dangerous. But the one that bothers me the most is improper hand washing. That's also the most common.

Ever thought about having a system where you'd post a health grade on the front of each restaurant?

We don't have a grading system, but we do post all of our reports on the Internet. People can go to kcmo.org/health (click on "food inspection results" on the right side under "hot topics.")

Are there places you won't go to because of what you've found in an inspection?

If they're open and operating, they're up to our standards.

Yeah, but aren't there places that just sort of skate by that make you say "not me"?

Yeah, I would say so. But I have full confidence in my co-workers that they are educating the employees and managers to ensure the facility is (safe).

Do restaurant owners hate to see you coming?

There are some restaurants that I make a little bit nervous. But generally, I am accepted.

What are the nastiest food-borne illnesses you're trying to prevent?

We have what we call the big five. Salmonella, E. coli, hepatitis A, shigella and norovirus.

How dangerous are they?

They can be deadly.

Has anybody in Kansas City died of these after eating out in the last few years?

Not that I'm aware of. It's probably because we have such a good team of health inspectors.

No doubt. So what tools do you take on the job?

A thermometer to take the temperatures of food, a flashlight to look behind counters or in hard-to-see places, test strips to test the concentration of sanitizing solutions to make sure it's at the proper level. It's got to be strong enough to kill bacteria, but not so strong to make people sick. I also carry high-heat strips to make sure that machines such as dishwashers are operating at the proper temperature. I carry alcohol swabs to clean my thermometers, a laptop, printer, all my handouts and paperwork, a phone and badge.

How long does an average inspection take?

Generally 45 minutes to a couple of hours.

How many food serving establishments does Kansas City have?

About 2,700.

And how many of these can you inspect?

I average about 60 a month, or about 700 in a year. But that doesn't include complaints, or office work or other projects.

What's one thing that people assume about health inspectors that's not true?

That we're crooked and take bribes and free food. That's just absolutely not true. We take pride in our jobs. We're not here to get a free hamburger. We're here to promote the public health.

Do you have the power to close a place down?

Yes.

Have you ever done that?

Several times.

What could you see that would cause you to shut a place down?

An imminent health hazard.

Such as?

No water in the facility, an infestation of rodents or insects that's uncontrolled, a sewage backup. Also if there's an excessive number of critical violations.

Are there noncritical violations?

Sure. Things such as broken floor tiles.

Why would that matter?

If a floor tile is broken or damaged, it will no longer be smooth and easily cleanable. It could hold dirt, food and bacteria, which could eventually lead to a critical violation, which could be an imminent health hazard.

Wow. You have to look at everything. At dinner parties, do you find yourself snooping around the kitchen or glancing at floor tiles and counter tops?

I definitely don't snoop. Only when I'm there for an inspection do I look in kitchens.

But do you make friends nervous when you come over? Or does anybody ever invite you over?

Everybody tries to give me a hard time about being a health inspector, like, 'Don't check out my kitchen!' But it's all in good fun.

Can you relax and have fun when you go out, or are you always, you know, looking around?

I definitely can relax and have a good time when I go out to eat.

Really?

It's always in the back of your mind that people are doing what they need to be doing in the kitchen. But that should be on everybody's mind, not just mine.

When you go out to eat, are your choices limited by what you know about restaurants? And does that irritate your family?

Absolutely, it affects my choices when I go out to eat. And it does irritate my husband at times, but he knows I have our family's best health in mind.

You mentioned temperature. What are the proper temperatures that common foods should be cooked to in order to be safe?

Chicken is 165, beef is 155, and seafood is 145.

What's the proper way to thaw something? Is that a problem?

When I was growing up, it was very common that people would leave frozen turkeys or chickens out in the kitchen sink, and when they came home it was all thawed out. That's dangerous, because the food sits for a long time in the (temperature) "danger zone." That allows bacteria to grow a lot more rapidly and could cause food-borne illness.

How should you thaw something?

Put it in the refrigerator below 41 degrees, or under continuous running water under 70 degrees. Or you can defrost it in the microwave, as long as you cook it immediately.

Is it possible people have many of the same critical violations you find in restaurants in their own kitchens?

Absolutely.

Are there more or less harmful germs in people's homes than they would realize?